


Possessed by a what now?

by Kotaboda



Category: Venom (Movie 2018)
Genre: Alternate Universe, But mostly only cherrypicking lore and filling in my own, Carlton Drake is a bitch, Demon Summoning, Demonic Possession, Eddie is a walking disaster with too much anxiety, Humor, Light Angst, Loosely based off the Bartimaeus Sequence books, M/M, Magic, Maria lives because I said so, No Riot because I also said so, Sort Of
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-06
Updated: 2018-12-23
Packaged: 2019-08-19 16:25:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 15,016
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16538090
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kotaboda/pseuds/Kotaboda
Summary: Why was he here?Why was he doing this?Oh, right, because he had no impulse control when it came to anything. Especially concerning the case that ripped his life right out from under him. Never quite got the closure he wanted with that one. Now that he has the opportunity to drag Drake through the mud and possibly get his reputation back he can’t possibly pass this up.





	1. How to Get Possessed For Dummies

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! I'm Kota and this is my first ever fic, come along for the ride. I've roleplayed before but never actually written a full work but I'm told I did an okay job on this so I said fuck it and decided to post it.
> 
> I am super SUPER hyperfixated on Venom right now and I just could not resist the demon AU idea tickling at my brain, so here it is in all it's glory. Like the tags say it's loosely based off the Bartimaeus Sequence, a series of books I highly recommend. Basically magic is modern and common and spirits are a regular thing. Most of the lore I cherry picked is explained so don't worry about not understanding anything, only some of it is stuff actually from the books but you don't really need the books' context to understand.
> 
> GOD BLESS THE LITERAL ANGEL @[Mamichigo](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mamichigo/pseuds/Mamichigo) FOR HELPING ME ALONG THE WAY AND BETAING FOR ME

Eddie Brock wasn’t your typical investigative journalist. The types of things he investigated went beyond the usual missing person or corrupt business operation. Instead, Eddie made a living prying into the private lives of magicians, finding and exposing corrupt practices, sacrifices, and other magical taboo.

 

More often than not it involves demons from the Other Place, a spiritual realm where demons exist as a single consciousness and have no distinct identities. Free of time and space, they just swirl around in a chaotic swarm of colors and memories that are shared by all demons because of the lack of personal identity. Or so he’s read.

 

He likes to think he knows how to research things properly.

 

Unfortunately his credibility was shot when he tried too hard, too soon to bring down Carlton Drake. The guy was a big wig magician, CEO of the Spirit Foundation, who had a lot of fishy rumors surrounding his career. The Spirit Foundation was the leading organization for spiritual research and advancement and claimed their advancements were making human lives easier, but Eddie’s gut was just screaming that the guy couldn’t be trusted. He confirmed his feelings when he snooped in his fiance’s files and he found some evidence alluding to summonings of demons that were ranked afrit and higher, which required a sacrifice usually. They were illegal for that specific reason.

 

Despite demons not being distinct from each other in the Other Place, when they manifested in their world they typically could be categorized into rankings by power. Demons are ranked into 7 major classes; Sub-Imp, Imp, Foliot, Djinni, Afrit, Marid & Super-Marid in order of ascending power. On the low end of the scale, Sub-Imps are barely intelligent and people rarely summon them, and if they do it’s because they want a pet demon or something. On the other end of the scale, Super-Marids are too intelligent, powerful, and destructive to summon, in addition to the fact that it takes powerful magic. Plus, it takes at least four magicians(or one powerful one) to summon a marid, forget how many you’d need for a super one.

 

In everyday magic society, most magicians had imps and foliots as simple servants for the household. Some more experienced magicians summoned djinni to put under their service for more complex and delicate tasks, such as spying on and sabotaging rival magicians. Gotta love those political assholes.

 

It’s those kind of magicians Eddie loves to investigate. The ones who are only concerned with power and status are willing to do anything to get it and keep it. Because most of their dirty deeds are done by demons, however, it can be a little tricky getting evidence. You couldn’t actually see the things unless you had special magic contact lenses(a staple for magicians) or you were born with the supernatural gift. Luckily Eddie had the gift, so he didn’t have to worry about scrounging up money for lenses in order to complete his investigations. Even then he only had his word, which nowadays wasn’t worth shit.

 

Before the interview with Carlton Drake that ruined his career, he was pretty well respected and he would usually be fine with just his sightings and whatever meager physical evidence he could find. After losing his fiance and entire career he was scared to even show his face in public, to be quite honest.

 

However, one day as he was leaving Ms. Chen’s shop he noticed Maria was not in her usual spot, selling him newspapers that were technically supposed to be free. He never minded helping her out, it made him feel good and brought some light to his meaningless existence. While she was usually in her spot right around this time, and Eddie was worried what interrupted that routine, he couldn’t really do anything about it so he went home and pushed the concern to the back of his mind.

 

He was putting away groceries when suddenly a demon jumped on top of the table in front of him, causing him to yelp in surprise and stumble back. He hits his head on the fridge and hisses in pain.

 

“Jesus christ...What the fuck are you doing here? Where’s your master?” He asks accusingly. The demon was smallish, but its eyes held enough of an intelligent gaze that he could safely assume it was just a foliot.

 

The foliot was kind of goblin-looking, hunched over and resting some of its weight on its hands like a monkey would. It had angled eyes that were a solid white and a smile of razor sharp teeth.

 

“Not here, “ it hissed, voice raspy and a little high pitched. “Master wishes to tell you about...Carlton Drake. Says she has...evidence.”

 

It started pacing slowly back and forth across the table. “Too dangerous to see you, she says. Wishes to give you a lead. A...location and time.” It holds out an open palm and a small piece of paper bubbles out of its skin, as if it were a log and the demon’s flesh was water.

 

Eddie eyes the paper with suspicion, then inches forward from his spot against the fridge. He slowly reaches for the paper, then when he’s in range he snatches it and steps back. The foliot simply rolls its eyes.

 

He mumbles the address to himself, internally calculating the best route from his apartment to the location. Then he reads the date and his eyes widen in alarm. “Tonight?! Are you serious? Couldn’t have told me a little sooner?” He glares at the demon.

 

The foliot shrugs, “Not my message, not my problem.” Before Eddie can even protest, the foliot jumps off the table and runs on all fours to the nearest window, jumping out and disappearing without a trace.

 

Eddie groans and slides down against the fridge until he’s sitting on the floor of his kitchen, questioning all of his life choices. As if that’s anything unusual. He sighs and reads over the small note again.  _ Tonight at midnight. Wonderful. _

 

\---

 

Why was he here?

 

Why was he doing this?

 

Oh, right, because he had no impulse control when it came to anything. Especially concerning the case that ripped his life right out from under him. Never quite got the closure he wanted with that one. Now that he has the opportunity to drag Drake through the mud and possibly get his reputation back he can’t possibly pass this up.

 

Before he left to investigate the place he did some digging. Apparently it was some building that was just supposed to be a storage warehouse for the Spirit Foundation, but apparently it had other purposes if the cryptic message from this random magician was anything to go by.

 

He figures that he can trust her because, well, he doesn’t have any other options for getting his life back. 

 

The security is minimal, just some basic locked doors and garages. He guesses it’s less conspicuous if you make it look like you’re not trying to protect something. He was lucky he had noticed earlier on, after he finally finished putting the groceries away, that there were numbers on the back of the small note. He was willing to bet a bag of tater tots that it got him into the warehouse.

 

Eddie sighs and psyches himself up before jogging to what he  _ hopes  _ is the back door of the warehouse. He punches in the numbers from the paper onto the small pin pad and he hears a small click.  _ Nice _ . 

 

He carefully pushes the door in, trying to avoid any possible squeaking as he scans the area for any humans or demons. No doubt if something shady is going on then these magicians will have their pet demons on the prowl for any trouble.

 

Walking as softly as he can, he tries to find anything that could lead him to wherever the action’s happening, but for now he heads to what he thinks is the center of the building. It's pretty dark, but not so much so that he can't navigate the stacked crates and tall shelves everywhere.

 

When he hears voices he pulls out his phone and turns on the camera, hitting record as he gets closer to where the voices are coming from. He covers his mouth quickly to hide that gasp escaping from his lips at the scene in front of him.

 

Shadows dance on the crates and walls from the candles placed at various places on the outer ring of a summoning circle sketched on the floor. Four magicians stand around the circle equidistant from each other, arms outstretched, heads down with hoods hiding their faces. In the center of the summoning circle lay Maria, unbound but unconscious. She's just on her side, slightly curled up and looking not too worse for wear. If it weren't for all the cultist shit around her Eddie would think she was just sleeping.

 

Before he can even think about how to help her, suddenly one of the magicians throws back his head, hood falling off to reveal Carlton Drake’s bastard face.

 

Drake starts chanting in what he assumes is Latin, and after a few seconds the other magicians join him. He understands not a single word that is spoken, except sometimes he thinks he catches the word “venom” but he isn't sure. The chanting gets louder and louder, reverberating throughout the large warehouse as the candles’ flames grow in size and their voices are joined by echoed whispers coming from no particular direction.

 

All of the stimulation was starting to make Eddie dizzy until suddenly it stops and the flames immediately shrink and turn a bright blue. The magicians simultaneously drop to their knees and bend forward in a deep bow as Maria twitches and shifts. Then suddenly she rises as if picked up by the neck and stands tall. Her eyes are a stark white, posture stiff and unnatural. She wears a grin too wide to be normal as she gazes at the four magicians around her. 

 

**“Well, well. It's been a while since someone had the guts to summon me.”** Her mouth moves to form the words, but the voice is rough, deep, ethereal. It sounds too far off to be her own.  **“Why are there four of you? You,”** she points at Drake,  **“should've been enough to summon me.”**

 

Drake sits up and smiles. “We simply wished to give you a proper...escort so to speak,” he explains smoothly.

 

Maria barks out a laugh, one deep and sharp enough to make Eddie flinch.  **“Don't make me out to be a fool. You magicians wish nothing more to bind my kind, make us** **_servants_ ** **,”** she growls and snaps forward, head stopping at the edge of the circle.  **“All this bowing and these 'escorts’ are simply fanfare to boost my ego and lower my guard.”**

 

The CEO doesn't even flinch, probably confident in the wards the circle offers. He stands and holds arms out. “I am not like other magicians. I am an  _ innovator _ ,” he says proudly, the word “innovator” coming out in a hushed whisper as if it were a well kept secret.

 

Eddie holds in a scoff. As if. The man hardly shuts up about how “great” and “revolutionary” he is.  _ Fucking egotistical bastard. _

 

“I wish to strengthen the relationship between man and spirit. Prove that we are stronger as  _ partners _ , rather than master and servant,” Drake explains with a fake, charismatic tone. “But I can't do it without you, an afrit. A spirit that needs a vessel to survive in our plane. Your... bond with a human can be more than just a vessel to contain a spirit. It can be  _ greater _ .”

 

The whole time Drake is speaking Maria(should he have even keep referring to it as Maria?) is investigating the circle, seemingly bored with her conversation with the human.  **“We already know that, pathetic human. Before you magicians started becoming organized and,”** she pauses, searching for the right word, **“corporate, we got along just fine. We bonded with humans in symbiosis, and those who didn't need to existed as partners.”**

 

Maria cocks her head and glares at Drake.  **“You do not seek a mutually beneficial relationship. You seek** **_power_ ** **,”** she hisses.

 

Then she starts grinning again, almost maniacally. **“But you do not deserve power. You can't even get a stupid summoning circle right,”** she says as she steps a foot outside of the circle as Drake stumbles back, gripped with a sudden and intense fear.

 

“N-No, it should've been fine,” he whimpers then glares at his associates who are starting to back away as well. “You idiots! How could screw up something so simple!”

 

Maria chuckles darkly, a large, thick tongue that was  _ definitely _ not hers snaking out to lick her lips.  **“Making your underlings do all your dirty work?** **_Pathetic_ ** **.”**

 

As soon as she lunges forward, hands forming claws and mouth opening to reveal rows of sharp teeth, a demon with wings suddenly snatches Drake up and flies off. A djinni, Eddie recognizes briefly. He was frozen to the spot out of fear, all he could do was watch.

 

Maria roars with rage, then whirls on the three magicians who haven't quite figured out how to get their legs to remember how to run. She swings her arm forward and a tendril shoots out and smacks the leftmost one to the floor, then curls around them and pulls them towards the angry demon. Maria's maw opens unnaturally wide and snaps closed around the magician’s entire head, blood splattering all over her clothes and onto the floor as she rips it clean of their shoulder. The other two magicians scream and run, but Maria is more interested in eating her current meal than catching them.

 

Eddie can't hold himself up any longer and collapses onto the floor. His heart practically stops when Maria's head snaps towards him.  _ Fuck _ .

 

**“Come out, little human,”** she purrs, dropping the magician's body to the floor and standing to her full height.

 

Eddie lets out a shaky breath. He'd been intimidated before, by both human and demon. But he'd yet to actually come across an afrit before because, you know, they were illegal. But whether he liked it or not he was found out so he needed to play it cool. Predators were more likely to chase prey that ran.

 

He stands, using a nearby crate to steady himself before stepping into the light of the candles. Well, before he dies he may as well check. “Is uhm...is she okay? M-Maria?” He tries to swallow around the lump in his throat.

 

Maria tilts her head slightly, smiling smugly while somehow managing an amused glint in her plain white eyes. **“This host? She is fine. We ate, so she will be fine. She said she...appreciates the concern.”** Her eyes rake up and down his body hungrily, causing Eddie to shift on his feet nervously.  **“Eddie? She says you are called Eddie. Why are you here, Eddie? You are clearly no magician.”**

 

Eddie feels offended for a moment before letting it go. Defending himself against a demon felt like a bad idea. He decides to instead note the fact that Maria was apparently still conscious and aware despite being completely controlled by a demon.

 

“I'm a uh...reporter. I got a tip about this location. About Carlton Drake, the asshat that summoned you. Wish you'd actually ate him,” he grumbles bitterly. Maria seems to take an interest in this statement but he tries to gloss over it by continuing. “I want to expose Drake's illegal magic activities. Like this…” he gestures vaguely at the summoning circle, “incident in particular.”

 

Maria’s head lowers a bit and she puts a finger to her mouth, tapping it idly, which Eddie interprets as the demon deciding whether or not to make a meal out of him. Then she looks up and grins.  **“I like you. I wish to help.”**

 

Eddie was confused then started panicking as Maria approached him  _ very _ quickly. “Woah, woah, hold up. What does that even--” suddenly his hand was grabbed and Maria's eyes started to glow white. He struggles and pulls as black mist seeps out of her mouth and floats towards him. Once the mist goes down his throat he feels his eyes roll back into his head and he blacks out.


	2. Demons, Ex-Fiances, and Dan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Eddie?” Anne asks incredulously as she narrows her eyes and puts the hand not holding the door on her hip. “What are you doing here?”
> 
> Eddie pulls and rotates his bracelets, completely overcome with shame and anxiety. “I uh... I'm here to see Dan, actually?” He's barely able to hold eye contact with his ex-fiance for more than a second before shifting his gaze around to nothing in particular. “I may have gotten…possessed? Bonded? To a spirit? Afrit?” His voice keeps rising in pitch along with Anne's eyebrows.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh boy I updated it within a week! Let's see if I can keep that goin. Maybe not, I'm on the last few weeks of a big project but I'll sure try! Enjoy Eddie and Venom shenanigans!
> 
>  
> 
> __  
> And the fire's burning  
>  The devil's dancing in your head  
> All the wolves are howling  
> Begging to be fed  
>   
> [\- Loud Magic by Foreign Air](https://open.spotify.com/track/5gAC4dyUhRY9ibLg7ePZ39)

_ Holy shit, my head hurts. _ That's the first thought Eddie Brock has when he wakes up in his apartment. He has a skull-splitting headache and he is  _ incredibly _ hungry. He notices he's still dressed so he pats around for his phone then pulls it out. He turns on the screen and winces at the sudden brightness. Once his eyes adjust he checks the time.  _ 10:45 a.m. Cool. Great. Fantastic. Guess I'm missing work today. Whatever, it was a temp job. _

 

Eddie groans and pushes himself up into a sitting position then tries to rub the exhaustion from his eyes. He swings his legs over the edge of his bed and stands. His body sways a bit and he allows it a moment to adjust and steady itself before shuffling to the kitchen to find something to eat and make some coffee. When he opens the fridge he gets a startling reminder of last night’s events.

 

**_Your stock of food is pitiful._ **

 

The scream that rips from his throat is much louder than what is socially acceptable in a cramped apartment complex. He smacks his hand over his mouth to shut himself up and breathes through his nose, trying to regain some composure. Once he feels like he’s not dying of a heart attack, he glances around in confusion. “Uhm...Y-You wouldn’t happen to be the demon from last night, right?” The voice was familiar.

 

**_NOT A DEMON!_ **

 

Eddie winces at the loud booming voice that sounds like it’s coming from inside his own head. Which, for the record, definitely does not help his migraine. “Jesus fucking christ, okay! Okay. Not a demon. What would you prefer to be called? And where the fuck are you anyways?”

 

**_I am a spirit, an afrit if you wanna get specific. Afrits need hosts to survive in your plane._ ** Thick black smoke seeps from his hoodie and flows out in front of him, taking a more solid shape that resembles a head. Two opal eyes and a mouth full of razor sharp teeth form to reveal what he guessed was the dem--spirit’s face.  **“So, to put simply, I am inside you.”**

 

The spirit seems quite amused with their choice of phrasing.

 

However, Eddie is not happy with this situation. The monstrous face is unnerving and he finds himself subconsciously backing away from it. So what the spirit is saying is he’s possessed. He’s possessed and there is a spirit living inside him doing who knows what--

 

**“Not possessed! Bonded. God you humans are so presumptuous,”** they hissed in annoyance.

 

Eddie scrunches up his face. “Bonded? What the fuck does that mean?”

 

The spirit’s expression relaxed, somehow, and they explained their ‘bond’.  **“Afrits and higher, their energy is too chaotic to exist on its own in your plane. Hosts are typically needed, but it is a mutually beneficial relationship. You give me refuge, I give you power. But the host needs to be compatible with the spirit. Your ‘Maria’ was barely sufficient. But you, Eddie,”** the spirit purrs as their head floats closer to Eddie’s face, ” **are** **_perfect_ ** **.”**

 

Eddie never thought he’d find himself being flattered by a spirit, but this is where life’s brought him. Then he remembered,  _ oh yeah, Maria! _ “She's okay, right? You said she was okay last night but I don't know what happened after you...transferred to me.”

 

**“She's fine. Thanked me and left. I looked through your memories and used our body to walk us home.”**

 

“ _ My _ body. You used my body to take us to my home,” he says in annoyance, not liking whatever the spirit was implying.

 

**“** **_Our_ ** **body. Our home,”** they growl, sharp teeth practically shaking with the sound.  **“We are bonded. We share everything.”**

 

Eddie rolls his eyes. “If we have to share everything, mind sharing your name?”

 

**“I am Venom, and you are** **_mine_ ** **.”** Venom wanted to reiterate the fact that they were bonded, and they weren’t going to let go anytime soon.

 

Eddie shudders at the possessive tone, for reasons he'd rather not think about. “V-Venom? Okay.” He says as he fidgets with his bracelets, still processing that this was reality. He vaguely recalls that 'Venom’ was something he had managed to decipher from all the magicians’ chanting, so makes sense that was their name.

 

“Well I think I've hit my limit on weird magical shit for the day, so we're gonna leave that topic for now,” he breathes out and closes his eyes, letting his head drop forward as he feels the room closing around him a little.  _ Everything is fine, I'm just possessed--bonded with a spirit whose existence on this plane is technically illegal. Fuck. _

 

He feels something touch his chin and tilt his head up. He opens his eyes and notices a smoky tendril extending from Venom's body trying to...comfort him?

 

**“Everything will be fine. We are strong. Nothing will harm us. If something tries, we will eat it,”** the spirit says as it's grin widens, putting their sharp teeth on full display. Their tendril recedes as their grin softens.  **“But we are hungry now. Feed us!”**

 

Surprisingly, it helps and he feels his breath evening out. He decides to just roll with the punches life is throwing at him and focuses on the simple task: eating. “Yeah, okay. Okay. I'm guessing this means I'm eating for two now?” He feels a wave of confirmation at the base of his skull, which he assumes is from Venom and their... bond. “Okay, not gonna think about what that's gonna do to my wallet.”

 

Venoms smoke seeps back into his body but he can still  _ feel _ them, as if they're just relaxing in his gut. He pulls a bag of tater tots out of the freezer and just pours the entire bag onto a pan before popping it into the toaster oven. He pulls some leftover Vietnamese takeout from the fridge and munches on that while his tater tots cook. He relaxes a little when he notices the nausea from his migraine fading as he eats.

 

His mind is silent for a solid minute before Venom speaks up to complain.

 

**_This is dead. We want real food. Food that is alive_ ** , the spirit hisses demandingly.

 

Eddie chokes for a brief second at the statement then calms his throat so he can swallow the food in his mouth. “Dude, shit that is alive will make me sick. I could eat like raw food I guess, like sushi and rare steak, but that's expensive.” He can barely comprehend what eating for two is gonna do to his budget. He doesn't even want to think about trying to possibly satisfy Venom's expensive taste.

 

**_Raw is not enough. We can eat people, they are alive. It would not be a problem. Together, we are Venom as well. We can do anything, no harm will come to your feeble human body in the attempt._ **

 

“NO!” He shouts a little too loudly and he can feel a small recoil from the spirit in his gut. “Just listen,” he says in a much softer tone, “we really can’t just do whatever we want, there are laws, rules,  _ morals _ .”

 

Then Eddie feels images flashing behind his eyes almost like a flipbook of memories and shakes his head to try and clear it. “Woah, what the fuck. Are you doing that?” 

 

**_Yes. It has been a long time since I was in your plane. Want to understand how your world functions now,_ ** they grumble, as if the answer were obvious.

 

He shrugs and rests against the counter. “I guess shit can’t get any weirder. Go wild, I guess,” he says before stuffing more noodles in his mouth. Venom may not like the food, but he sure does.

 

Luckily Eddie was able to shove Venom’s rummaging through his memories to the back of his mind so he could focus on eating. Conveniently, his toaster oven dings just as he finishes his takeout so he tosses it into the trash and finds a paper plate for his tater tots. While those cool, he picks a dirty cup out of the sink and rinses it out before filling it with tap. He vaguely remembers he only used this cup for water anyways, so it was probably fine.

 

In the middle of his thirsty chugging he makes a startled noise when he remembers that he has evidence that could possibly dig his reputation out of the grave. He not so gently puts his cup on the counter and digs his phone out his pocket to look through his gallery.  _ Oh thank god, the video is still there. _

 

**_I am also evidence._ **

 

Eddie smiles wryly. “Yeah, you are. But unfortunately you’re also technically illegal and I don’t wanna get in trouble.”

 

**_...I see_ ** . Venom leaves it at that and goes back to their thinking and memory analyzing.

 

He pockets his phone then grabs the plate of tater tots and starts eating them two at a time. God he was hungry.

 

**_We like these._ **

 

Eddie snorts. Of course it’s the greasy potato balls that the powerful, man-eating spirit likes. “We?” He asks, a little confused at the change in pronoun.

 

**_We, as in you and I. Host and spirit. We are one._ **

 

Eddie rolls his eyes. “Sure, buddy,” he mutters. “Hey you done using my brain as a library yet?”

 

**_Our brain is nowhere near as knowledgeable as a library._ **

 

“Wow, rude. Answer the fucking question.” He frowns and smothers the irritation by shoving four tater tots in his mouth because he knows he shouldn’t be offended when realistically that’s true.

 

**_Yes, I am done. You’re quite the loser, aren’t you, Eddie?_ **

 

Before he can protest his mouth clamps shut against his will. He can sense through the bond it was because Venom didn't want to be interrupted.

 

**_In the Other Place, I suppose I am considered a loser, too. Spirits are not happy with humans, tired of being treated as servants and slaves. It used to be better._ **

 

Images flash through his mind. Images of spirits and humans smiling together, working on spells together, fighting together.

 

**_We were equal. Even if some spirits were lower in intelligence we were treated with dignity. Not anymore. I still believe symbiosis possible. My kind does not agree._ **

 

Eddie mentally makes it clear to the spirit he isn’t going to yell and his mouth is allowed to relax. He eats his tater tots a bit more slowly as he considers Venom’s words. “So what, we’re compatible because we’re both losers?” He grumbles.

 

A dark chuckle echoes in his mind.  **_Not necessarily, but very well could be. There is no reasoning the compatibility between souls. They either are, or they aren’t. Or some other higher asshole controls these things without telling us their reasoning._ **

 

Oh great, all it takes is a tour of Eddie’s memories and they’ve already picked up his cursing.

 

**_Speaking of souls, we are hungry, Eddie. We don’t care as much about the flesh as we do the soul. It is what fuels our energy and power._ ** Before Eddie can even complete his thought as to why eating tater tots was helping Venom continues.  **_When the soul experiences positive emotion it generates excess energy that I can feed on. So think of tater tots as...soul food._ ** Venom sounds very pleased with themself and their pun, but their tone returns to serious again.  **_However, it is not enough._ **

 

Eddie groans and places his now empty plate on the counter as he rubs his other hand down his face. “Do we really have to?” He doesn't want to eat people. As much as the world fucking sucks and is run by assholes he doesn't really consider himself a killer.

 

**_Yes._ **

 

“Fucking hell,” Eddie grumbles then makes sure he has all the essentials(keys, phone, wallet) before heading out of his apartment. “I know...a guy. He knows more about all this spirit mumbo jumbo than I do, so maybe he can...I don't know, come up with a supplement. Like  _ really _ good soul food, or something.”

 

Venom is pleased that Eddie used their joke but seems to curl a little tight around his...soul? Is that what that is? His chest feels tight, as if he's about to have an anxiety attack, but it feels more distant and not actually physical. Obviously the spirit isn't too keen about the idea but Eddie needs to do it for his own peace of mind. That technically involves telling both Anne and Dan about his... situation. He's not excited about that part.

 

\---

 

Eddie stares up at the quaint little apartment as unease and loneliness trickles its way into his gut. He hasn't been here in a while, and for good reason. He knows Anne doesn't really want him in her life and his heart aches at just the thought of her, so actually seeing and talking to her feels like a spear through his chest. But he needs to do this. Needs to talk to Dan about this...spirit situation. 

 

Closing his eyes, he breathes in slowly then back out. He does it once more for good measure before opening his eyes and approaching the apartment. He twists the ring on his left hand anxiously as he knocks on the door with his right. “C'mon, c'mon. Please be home. And please don't be mad,” he mutters under his breath.

 

**_Why would this Anne be mad?_ **

 

“Complex human stuff, don't worry about it,” he says quietly.

 

Venom seems dissatisfied with that answer, but thankfully they drop it.

 

The door opens and Eddie quickly tries to prepare what he wants to say without coming off as a complete lunatic.

 

It's Anne who's answered the door and Eddie feels like his chances at not looking crazy just dropped by fifteen percent.

 

“Eddie?” Anne asks incredulously as she narrows her eyes and puts the hand not holding the door on her hip. “What are you doing here?”

 

Eddie pulls and rotates his bracelets, completely overcome with shame and anxiety. “I uh... I'm here to see Dan, actually?” He's barely able to hold eye contact with his ex-fiance for more than a second before shifting his gaze around to nothing in particular. “I may have gotten…possessed? Bonded? To a spirit? Afrit?” His voice keeps rising in pitch along with Anne's eyebrows.

 

He decides to just get it out there and quickly rambles, “Listen, Anne, I just want to have a magical diagnostic test done on me because this spirit says they eat souls to live and I really don't want to do that so I need help figuring out what to do and if there's a supplement because I'm really scared and--”

 

“Eddie!” Anne interrupts before he can go any further and gives an exasperated sigh as she pinches the bridge of her nose. Then she lowers her hand and looks at him with what he could probably assume was pity. “Eddie, listen. That's...a lot. Afrits are illegal and shouldn't even exist in the first place. But,” she pauses and bites her lip as she looks off to the side. She groans, past fondness worming its way into her heart. She looks sternly at him and continues, “Since you're so worried, and I know how paranoid you get, I'll ask Dan to do the magical diagnostic.”  She opens the door wider and stands aside to let Eddie in. “And he'll do it because he'd never turn down someone who needs help, god bless his heart,” she mutters fondly.

 

Eddie breathes a sigh of relief and quietly thanks her as he steps into what used to be his home. It hurts to see, really. The spear that had stabbed into his chest twisted painfully. He buries the feeling beneath all the sand drying out his mouth and clogging his throat.

 

Anne closes the door and walks away, calling for Dan to come downstairs. She whirls on him and glares. “If you pull  _ any _ kind of bullshit, you leave. Understand?”

 

Eddie does his best to swallow around the sand and nods quickly. Oh he understands perfectly.

 

As Dan reaches the pair he spots Eddie and seems a little surprised before relaxing into a gentle smile. “Oh hey, Eddie. How you doing?”

 

After tugging a bit on his bracelets, Eddie shrugs and answers, voice a little raspy, “You know. Just possessed by an afrit and stuff and wanna get it checked out. The usual.”

 

He ignores the spirit's grumble of “not possessed”.

 

Dan's eyes widen and he looks at Anne for confirmation, who just nods and sighs. He looks back at Eddie with genuine concern. “Are you okay? How did this happen? You want to get it 'checked out’?”

 

_ God, Dan is such a nice guy. Anne deserves him. _

 

Eddie runs both his hands through his hair and then drags his palms down his stubble. “I uh...may have walked in on an illegal summoning ritual. Spirit took a liking to me. I guess. Says we're a perfect match or something.” He gives Dan what could only be called “sad puppy eyes”. He's willing to beg for help at this point, the fear of being turned away burrowing it's way into his heart right next to the spear. “I just really need your help, man. The spirit said they need to eat souls to live and I'm obviously not okay with that. I was hoping you could do your...magic doctor thing and see if I'm okay. And I wanted to know if maybe there was a supplement for souls?” He doesn't think there is. “They said whenever I feel happy or something it generates soul energy but it's not enough.”

 

Annie seems ready to tear into him for doing something so dangerous and so typical--but Dan stops her with a gentle hand on her shoulder, thumb rubbing smooth circles as he shakes his head.  _ Not worth it _ . He didn't say it but Eddie could tell it's what Dan meant. Annie huffs and stamps her foot in frustration, then she whirls around and leaves the room. Probably finding someplace to go calm down.

 

_ Understandable _ .

 

The spear twists deeper. Venom has gotten concerned enough at this point that they're poking around in his soul, trying to pinpoint the source of the pain. They seem to understand what's happening and curl around his soul, squeezing and twisting, trying to work out the metaphorical knots. The feeling causes him to rub his palm into the center of his chest, a little confused. Venom explains through vague feelings and images that negative emotion blocks spiritual pathways and he's trying to unblock them. 

 

_ That's nice of them _ , Eddie thinks as he feels himself starting to become emotionally exhausted.

 

Dan smiles at him apologetically then gestures down the hall. “I can try a magical diagnostic. My study is this way, follow me and I'll see what I can do.” He walks down the hall and Eddie follows obediently.

 

Dan's study is a simple one, matching the simple man. It had a large desk, but nothing too ornate. The size was only necessary for the amount of papers, materials, and ingredients that covered almost every inch of it. Eddie figured he must use them regularly to need them out because the rest of his magical related items were carefully stacked and labeled on the shelves lining the walls.

 

An entire half of the room was dedicated to a magic circle on the floor with four metal rods with round bases placed equidistant around the circle. The rods have large blue crystals on the top, which Venom helpfully explains are used to channel a magician's magical energy and focus it in specific ways. Eddie makes note of that and remembers that's how the magicians were placed around Venom's summoning circle in a similar manner. And then how one was slaughtered and the others ran. Eddie suppresses a shudder at the memory.

 

Dan approaches the circle and points to the center. “Stand here, please. I'll be using this magic circle to examine the magical energies within your body to find any abnormalities or differences from what they normally look like. I'll be comparing it with the average non-magician's energies.” He makes sure the crystals are all aligned properly before facing Eddie. “Do you have any magical history that you think may alter your results?” Dan asks with the cool formality of a typical magical examiner. Eddie can tell he takes his job very seriously.

 

Eddie racks his brain for anything useful as he steps into the magic circle on the floor, but can only really think of one possible thing. “Other than the spirit currently up my ass, I can see spirits without any magic contact lenses. Was born with the gift.” He shrugs.

 

Dan nods and seems to be considering how that could affect his readings as he gently nudges Eddie into the correct spot in the center. “I see. Well there hasn't been much research done about how the gift affects energies but I'll keep it in mind.” He steps outside the circle and gives Eddie a look of genuine curiosity. “Do you think the gift made you a more viable host for bonding?”

 

Eddie looks off to the side and casually forwards the question to Venom, who shifts around his soul in a noncommittal shrug.  **_I told you, we are bonded for reasons beyond anyone's understanding. But maybe_ ** . Well, he tried. Eddie looks at Dan and shakes his head.

 

“Venom says we're bonded for reasons no one really knows. I guess like fucking soulmates or something.” Venom curls tighter around his soul happily(maybe possessively too) at the comparison. “But it could be a possibility. They don't know. It's not like we've been able to study the correlation of bondings to people with the gift because, y'know, it's illegal,” he remarks bitterly.

 

Wait, why is he bitter? Eddie thinks it must be Venom; it was probably their bond making their emotions bleed together.

 

Dan nods and rubs his chin as he looks at the floor, processing the information and cross-referencing it with everything he knows about magic and spirits. He claps his hands together and smiles warmly at Eddie. “Well! We'll just have to play this by ear, then. Let me know if anything starts to feel uncomfortable or painful.”

 

Dan stands about two feet from the circle and holds his arms half outstretched, palms facing the circle. The crystals begins to glow and the circle on the ground generates a faint blue outline. Eddie feels the hairs on the back of his neck begin to stand as magic thrums around him.

 

Suddenly, white hot pain. Blinding,  _ burning _ pain. Eddie doesn't even realize he's screaming until he falls to his knees and curls up on himself, the impact bringing him back to reality. His nerves are on fire. Venom's energy is expanding, vibrating like static, filling every space in his vessel in an attempt to escape the pain.

 

Then the pain stops. Eddie falls to his side, gasping and sweating. “What,” he breathes harshly, “the fuck.” He barely feels Venom's presence, the spirit a weak puddle at the bottom of his gut.

 

Dan rushes to Eddie's side and puts a hand on his shoulder. “Eddie? Eddie, are you okay?” He presses the back of his palm to Eddie's forehead and checks the rate of his pulse. “What happened? I've never seen this happen before. Your face...changed,” he mutters fearfully. “You had so many teeth. It seemed like your spirit was trying to separate from your body. Or was that...Venom, you said?”

 

Eddie nods weakly, trying to get his breathing under control. “Venom. Yeah. I uh...I don't know.” He pushes himself up into a sitting position with much more difficulty than should've been necessary. “Venom? What happened?” He ignores Dan's confused expression.

 

**_From the way the magic...tasted...the kind of ritual Dan was doing is meant to be used on only humans because it is safe for you. It seems to be deadly for spirits_ ** , Venom responds weakly, voice much quieter in his mind than usual. Eddie feels a pang of concern and rubs his chest, sending what he hopes is an apology across their bond. Venom makes a weak sound of acknowledgement.

 

Dan sits back in his heels and rubs the back of his neck. “Well, uh. Eddie, I don't know how to tell you this.” He sighs and gives Eddie a concerned look. “I think that spirit is eating your soul.”

 

**_Eddie, I can explain._ **

 

“Your soul energy was below what it should be.”

 

**_Told you we were hungry, Eddie._ **

 

“I think we should expel it.”

 

“ **NO!** ” The shout comes from both Eddie and Venom. The spirit is shocked that Eddie didn't want to be separated after what he just heard. Eddie doesn't know why he wants Venom to stay either.

 

Eddie sighs and rubs his hands up and down his face. “Look, Dan. Appreciate the concern. Venom already explained they needed soul energy to live. I'm not as surprised as I should be they started eating ours.” A twinge of affection and trust flows through the bond. “We were hungry. When the body starves it consumes itself, too. I'm not gonna blame Venom for something nature already designed.” He stares at the ring on his left hand as he fiddles with it. “Just,” he sighs and looks up at Dan, “tell me if there's any way to alleviate this or make it easier or something?”

 

Dan relaxes as Eddie explains his reasoning and stands up. “Okay, Eddie. I must disagree as your magical examiner but... it's your decision.” He steps away from the circle and scans his bookshelves, searching for something. Once he finds the book he wants he makes a small noise of success and pulls it off. He returns to Eddie and hands it to him. “This is a comprehensive book about soul energy. What feeds it, what depletes it, everything. Rather than lecture you I'd figure you'd prefer to do the research on your own, being an investigative reporter and all,” he says with a charming wink and smile.

 

Eddie breathes a small laugh as he takes the book, too exhausted to react much more than that. “You'd be right. Thanks, Dan. You're a good guy.” He smiles sadly up at the magical examiner. “You know, I'd say you're lucky to have Anne but I think she's lucky to have you.” He stands up and holds out a hand.

 

Dan smiles fondly and shakes Eddie's hand. “We're lucky to have each other, Eddie. Thanks for stopping by. I hope you figure everything out.” He releases Eddie's hand and puts both of his own into his pockets.

 

Eddie huffs. “Yeah. Me too, pal.” He holds up the book and flicks his wrist as a final thanks for the man's help as he leaves the study then tucks it under his arm. As he's heading towards the front door to leave, Annie stops him with a hand on his shoulder.

 

“Eddie, wait!” She grabs his bicep when he turns around. “Are you okay? I heard you scream but stop, I wasn't sure whether or not to interrupt.” She sounds genuinely worried and it causes Eddie's heart to twinge painfully.

 

Eddie offers a small smile to comfort her. “I'm fine. The magical diagnostic wasn't safe for Venom. It's okay though. He gave me a book about soul energy that I'll pore over after I go home and sleep for twelve hours.” When Annie chuckles he considers it a victory. “Don't worry. I'll figure it out,” he reassures her.

 

**_We'll figure it out._ **

 

_ We'll figure it out _ , Eddie agrees. Venom may be the cause of his predicament but it also means he's technically not alone, anymore. He doesn't mind that fact.

 

Annie bites her lip and nods, not quite buying it but willing to go out on a limb and trust him. “Okay. Okay, Eddie. Go get some rest. Call us in a day or two to let us know you're okay, alright? The home phone number hasn't changed.” She releases his arm and steps back to give him space.

 

Eddie nods, choosing to ignore the fact that their home phone use to be his. “Will do, Annie. Take care.” He opens the door and looks back at her with a fond smile, albeit slightly pained. “By the way, Dan's a good one.” Annie nods and smiles in return. He closes the door and heads home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, thanks to [mamichigo](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mamichigo/pseuds/Mamichigo) for betaing for me, an absolute angel.
> 
> Please let me know what you think! Especially if something about the lore or something seems unclear or contradictory, please let me know and I'll do better!


	3. Fighting Spirits and Other Fun Activities

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (Like Panicking and Probably Dying)
> 
> Her eyes grow wide when she sees Eddie and she reaches out towards him. “Eddie! Eddie Brock! Please, help me--” she chokes on her words as the djinni squeezes tighter around her neck. “I'm...t-the one...who s-sent…” She gives a few strained gasps before her eyes roll to the back of her head.
> 
>  
> 
> But Eddie's heard enough. She's the one who sent the foliot with the warehouse information, and she's paying the price for it. He rushes forward without thinking, wanting to help her however he can. Venom's warning is too late.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmm, what's a slow burn? I don't know her. What's competent action writing? Also don't know her.
> 
> A reminder, the ranking of spirits in this AU:  
> Demons are ranked into 7 major classes; Sub-Imp, Imp, Foliot, Djinni, Afrit, Marid & Super-Marid in order of ascending power. On the low end of the scale, Sub-Imps are barely intelligent and people rarely summon them, and if they do it’s because they want a pet demon or something. On the other end of the scale, Super-Marids are too intelligent, powerful, and destructive to summon, in addition to the fact that it takes powerful magic. Afrits and higher need hosts to exist in the mortal plane.
> 
>   _You get what you came for, what you stayed for  
>  I only know how to satisfy your craving  
> This is what you crave  
> Know what you're made of, what you're made of  
> Flesh and bones won't lie  
> They won't lie_
> 
> _Free animal, free animal  
>  My heart beats in patters to the broken sound  
> Free animal, free animal  
> You're the only one that can calm me down_   
>  [\- Free Animal by Foreign Air](https://open.spotify.com/track/5l8oNQsDDPNFUIV5M4lzRJ)

After that whole ordeal with Anne and Dan, Eddie just wanted to get home and sleep for ten years. He was thinking about how great it was going to feel as he climbed the stairs to his apartment when suddenly Venom coiled tightly around his soul, freezing him in his tracks. He frowns and rubs his chest. “Venom? What's wrong?”

 

 **_Careful, Eddie. Apartment stinks of magic. I can also sense a djinni inside. And some magicians_ **, Venom hisses in his mind. They loosen their hold on Eddie's soul, but still keeps a tight protective hold on it.

 

Anxiety squeezes Eddie's heart like a vice and his pulse begins to race. He can feel his heartbeat in his throat. “V-Venom, what do we do?” He asks in a hushed whisper, scared of alerting the intruders in his apartment.

 

Unfortunately, he thinks they probably already know he's here. If Venom can sense them, the djinni can probably sense Venom. He pulls on one of his bracelets and rubs the pads of his fingers on the beads, trying to focus on the texture as his breaths become shorter.

 

Smoky tendrils seep out of his arms to rub his wrists soothingly and twine around his fingers. **_Shhh, Eddie. Breathe. I will keep us safe._ ** **We** **_will keep us safe_ ** . The black smoke tightens around him protectively. **_Trust us_ **.

 

Surprisingly, Eddie feels calmer with the reassurance. He rubs the tendrils on his fingers with his thumbs, finding them to be oddly solid, and remembers to breathe. In through the nose. Out through the mouth. Once more. The tendrils seep back into his skin and he feels a wave of appreciation flow over the bond.

 

“Yeah. Yeah, okay. I trust us.” He scratches his stubble and finishes climbing up the steps to his apartment. “Well. Let's give our guests a warm welcome.”

 

 **_Yes, let's_ **, the spirit growls.

 

He grabs the door handle and opens it, revealing four magicians and the winged djinni from the warehouse in the center. The djinni has their claws wrapped tight around the neck of a woman who is struggling against its grip, sobbing and begging. Eddie doesn't recognize her, but he recognizes a hostage when he sees one and he freezes to the spot.

 

Her eyes grow wide when she sees Eddie and she reaches out towards him. “Eddie! Eddie Brock! Please, help me--” she chokes on her words as the djinni squeezes tighter around her neck. “I'm...t-the one...who s-sent…” She gives a few strained gasps before her eyes roll to the back of her head.

 

But Eddie's heard enough. She's the one who sent the foliot with the warehouse information, and she's paying the price for it. He rushes forward without thinking, wanting to help her however he can. Venom's warning is too late.

 

Eddie barely notices the magicians raising their hands before he drops to the floor screaming. He falls to his hands and knees, which lets him notice a magic circle on the ground through the haze of the pain. Ah, a trap.

 

The djinni is cackling and Venom is howling in his mind.

 

**_EDDIE! THE CIRCLE! YOU'RE HUMAN!_ **

 

Eddie catches the idea and understands what he needs to do. Venom can't do anything in a circle, but he can. He clenches his teeth and balls up his hands into fists, his screams turning to growls. He forces himself to stomach the pain then crawls to the edge of the circle, inch by agonizing inch. The djinni isn't laughing anymore. Using his palm, Eddie smears the chalk drawn on the floor best he can then collapses as the pain immediately stops.

 

Eddie only hears the clacking of claws against the wood flooring coming towards him before he's suddenly standing on his own, as if raised by the scruff of his neck. Black smoke billows around him and he feels himself become swallowed up and weightless. Suddenly, he's viewing the world through eyes that aren't his own and sees a large clawed hand strangling the djinni that he realizes had rushed towards them when he broke the circle.

 

“ **You cannot trap** **_us_ ** **. We are neither spirit nor human.** ” The hand squeezes tighter and the djinni claws at it desperately, trying to get free as its wings flap sporadically. “ **We are greater than you will ever be. We...are** **_Venom_ ** **. And you stole our dinner.** ”

 

In an instant, Venom maw opens wide and bites the djinni's head clean off. Its entire body goes limp and they drop it to the floor as it begins to crumble into dust. Their tongue slithers out to lick the blood off their teeth as they eye the frozen magician's hungrily. “So... who's first?”

 

 _Don't forget about the woman, make sure she doesn't get hurt_ , Eddie reminds the spirit.

 

Venom makes a small growl of acknowledgement before pushing off with their powerful legs to lunge at the magician closest to the woman. Their claws meet a protective ward around the magician in a clash of magical sparks and they roar in frustration. “ **Spirits are nothing, but you magicians are** **_fucking annoying_ **.” His claws press harder into the shield and small cracks begin to form.

 

The magician's eyes widen in horror as he watches the cracks form and he begins to sweat from how hard he's pushing his magic just to keep the ward from breaking. His three fellow magicians fire magical blasts at Venom in an attempt to distract them.

 

Venom roars in pain as the blasts force their form to dissipate where they're hit but black smoke quickly reforms to cover Eddie within them. Their claws continue to work at the shield while their free arm forms a long thick tendril and lashes out at all three of the other magicians. It doesn't break their wards but the force throws them all back quite a few feet, and they fall to the floor dazed and stunned.

 

Venom uses both hands now, claws digging into the ward and squeezing it on either side like they're trying to pop a watermelon. After a couple seconds it shatters and Venom lets their hands continue moving to grab the magician's head.

 

Venom grins, sharp teeth on full display. “ **Gotcha**.” Their long tongue snakes out to lick the horrified magician's face, just for fun, then they open their mouth wide and bite the poor fool's head off.

 

By now the other magicians have risen after being thrown by Venom, no longer stunned and ready to try their hand at fighting the spirit again. Meanwhile, Venom feels like they've gotten back into the swing of fighting magicians and their stupid magic, so the remaining magicians don’t even stand a chance. They turn and rush the one of the magicians to their left, dodging the magical blasts the magician throws in a sad attempt at self defense. Venom tackles them into the wall and pounds their fists into the ward, making much quicker work of it than the previous one. More tearing of flesh, more fuel in the tank. Their spirit is rippling with power, soul energy pulsing through them like steroids.

 

Venom whirls on the last two magicians, who are now looking much more hopeless in their chances against the afrit. A single punch to their wards is all it takes to shatter their defenses and they chomp off their heads with ease. Venom's tongue lolls out as they roar victoriously above their kills, borderline animalistic in their feeling of pride in protecting their territory.

 

 _Venom, hey_ , Eddie says across their bond. _Can I come back out now? They're gone._

 

The spirits posture relaxes and they remember their sensitive host. Their body breaks down into smoke and they dissolve back into Eddie's body, tendrils stroking his body fondly right before they disappear. **_Told you we'd keep us safe, Eddie_ **.

 

“Yeah, never doubted you for a second, V.” Venom preens at the nickname. Eddie shudders at the feeling of fullness he feels as he gazes at the decapitated bodies around his apartment. “Fuck,” he breathes out as his legs give and he falls to his knees. His mouth has a copper aftertaste that's threatening to make him sick.

 

They just killed people. Real people. And ate them.

 

 **_It was them or us, Eddie. Plus, we are no longer hungry_ **, Venom tries to reassure him.

 

Eddie covers his face with his hands. “I...I know, V. Doesn't mean I dislike it any less.” He lowers his hands an stares at them, a question coming to his mind. “How come you eat their heads? You said you do it to eat their souls but it always feels like you're in my chest.”

 

 **_Souls exist primarily in the chest area, around the heart. But it is considered...rude to eat a soul wholly. Eating the head is about_ ** , Venom pauses to think. **_Fifty percent of the soul. It is believed your soul will not rest or move on if it is consumed. So it is bad luck, taboo, rude. Evil, you might say._ **

 

Eddie nods, conscience a little eased but not really. “Good to know, I guess.” He sits up straight, eyes wide. “The woman!”

 

Standing, Eddie searches the apartment for her crumpled body. He spots it next to the first magician they killed and rushes over to her. He worries his bottom lip between his teeth as he kneels down and gently touches her shoulder.

 

“Uh...fuck. Ma'am?” She's out cold and unfortunately splattered with the blood of their victim. “Venom, can you do anything to wake her up?”

 

 **_Hmmm, we can work some magic_ **. Smoke emerges from his sleeve and flows into her mouth. A couple seconds pass and her eyes fly open. The smoke immediately retreats back into Eddie as she sits up coughing.

 

“Ugh, fuck,” she mutters, voice raspy as she rubs her throat in an attempt to sooth it. She looks around the room at her fallen comrades. Or former comrades. When she sees the blood on her clothes she swallows a whimper. “Oh, god.” She looks at Eddie, eyes wide in fear. “Did...did you do this?”

 

Eddie looms at his bracelets and tugs on their strings. “Uh, yeah. Or Venom did. We did.” His voice is more high pitched than usual as he speaks. He looks up at her, smothering his shame to focus on trying to comfort her. “Listen, miss. I'm sorry about your... co-workers, but they attacked us first.”

 

Thankfully, she doesn't flinch away when Eddie puts his hand on her shoulder. “Are you okay? What's your name? You already seem to know mine.” He smiles wryly.

 

The magician nods slowly, stealing one more glance at the headless corpses before squeezing her eyes shut and swallowing.

 

“I'm, uh, Doctor Skirth. Dora Skirth.” Doctor Skirth opens her eyes to look at Eddie. “I work for-- or used to work for the Spirit Foundation as a researcher for Drake's more… Experimental projects.”

 

The magician sighs and looks down at the floor, grimacing. “I thought we were making advancements to further humanity but...I started working there to save and preserve lives through the power of spirits and magic. Not take them.”

 

Eddie nods sympathetically and squeezes her shoulder before letting go. “I understand. Well, he made a mistake of summoning Venom, 'cause now we're gonna tear him and his empire down.” He glares, hard resolve clear in his eyes.

 

Doctor Skirth frowns and shakes her hands frantically. “Not his empire, no! Despite what Drake has done, the Spirit Foundation has made positive impacts on people's lives.” She lowers her hands to her laps and closes them into fists. “Just...take down Drake. I have some connections within the Foundation and I think I may be able to fill the power vacuum and steer the company back on the right track.” For a woman who was just weak at the sight of dead bodies she sure seemed ready to do whatever it takes to gain control of the company and make things right.

 

Venom thrums around his soul. **_She is not lying. This magician has pure intentions. We should help her_ ** . The spirit sighs wistfully. **_Maybe we can help her guide humanity and spirits back to peaceful coexistence._ **

 

Eddie rubs his chest, feelings his other's emotions bleed over. He finds himself wishing just as much for this paradise that Venom speaks of so fondly. He places a hand over one of Doctor Skirth's fists. “Okay, we'll help. Just promise me that I'll be able to help you out after we get Drake. Just to keep you on the straight and narrow.” He smirks.

 

The magician giggles. “Sure, of course. That's probably for the best.” Her smile falls a little. “Maybe if Drake had someone like that it wouldn't have come to this.”

 

Eddie shakes his head and squeezes her hand. “Nah, when I did my digging to try and expose him the first time I found out he hasn't exactly been the kind humanitarian he claims to be during his climb to the top.” He pulls his hand back and sighs. “Sometimes people are just fucking assholes, Doctor Skirth.”

 

After a moment, Doctor Skirth stands shakily with a sigh. “Yeah, you're right. Okay, I know some possible locations for where Drake is holed up.” She pulls out her phone and holds it out to him, prompting him to stand up and take it. “Put in your number and I'll send you the info. I'll...get cleaned up and contact you later.”

 

Eddie nods as he taps in his information then hands her phone back to her. “Got it.” He tenses as Venom constricts around his soul. He groans. “Fuck, what is it now?” That earns a confused look from Doctor Skirth.

 

 **_Spirits outside. Many. They will be no trouble, but they need to be dealt with_ ** , Venom grumbled. **_I do not like fighting my own kind, but I will do anything to protect us. It is the magicians’ fault for pitting us against each other._ **

 

“Yeah, I don't like it either. It's one of the reasons why I report on it.”

 

**_And a reason why I like you, Eddie._ **

 

Blushing, Eddie coughs into his fist. “Uhm, thanks.” He looks at Doctor Skirth and explains. “Venom senses spirits outside. I think we should probably escort you home.”

 

Doctor Skirth groans and pockets her phone. “Okay. Just...be merciful about it. They're only acting on their magician's commands.” She shudders. “And with the magic some magicians employ to torture and force spirits into doing their bidding, it's not always willing.”

 

**_Tell her we will sever their bond to this plane. They will return to the Other Place upon defeat._ **

 

Eddie relays the information, adding his own input. “If you have any magic or ways of breaking those spells on them without killing them, those would be good.”

 

Doctor Skirth hums, seriously considering it. “I haven't thought of it before. Get me home and I'll see what I can come up with while you're out and about finding Drake. But for now, the Other Place is the best option.”

 

Eddie nods then heads out of his apartment, motioning for Doctor Skirth to follow him. As they step into the hall, he gives it one last sorrowful look, taking in the decapitated bodies and how their blood spreads across the floor. That's never going to come out of the hardwood flooring. “Guess I'm not coming back to this place.” He shakes his head, trying to clear his thoughts and heads down the stairs. “You got your contacts on? I have the gift, so you don't have to worry about me.”

 

Curiosity lights up Doctor Skirth's features. “Really? I wonder if that has anything to do with your bond to the afrit.” She clears her throat, schooling her features and clamping down on her magical interest. “I have them, yes.”

 

They pair step outside of the building and are greeted by eight spirits, mostly djinn.The spirits are a variety of shapes and sizes but they all sport claws and fangs, perfect for tearing enemies apart. Eddie groans. “Ah, fuck. I know you said there were many, Venom, but damn. They must be really desperate to stop us.” He glances back at the magician. “Sorry in advance for what you're about to see. You should probably ward up.”

 

Doctor Skirth gives him a confused look but takes the advice and holds her hands up, palms out, and begins chanting under her breath.

 

Eddie sucks in a deep breath and lets it out slowly. “Alright, let's go.” He was prepared this time. He walks forward as black smoke flows out of his skin and surrounds him completely until only Venom's monstrous form is visible, pitch black with two angled white eyes and two rows of sharp teeth. They roar in unison, challenging one of the enemy spirits to make the first move.

 

Two of the larger djinn charge forward, flanking on either side of Venom. They hold their ground, glancing between the two spirits to keep track of them. The spirit on their left strikes high and Venom raises an arm to block the blow, snarling in annoyance. The other one is shoved to the ground by an inky black tendril from their hip before it can even reach Venom. Venom grabs the spirit on their left by the head and roars in pain as one of the smaller foliots latches onto their back, sinking its teeth and claws in as far as they'll go.

 

A tendril shoots out beneath the foliot, grabbing it by the head and smashing it against the nearest wall, squashing it like a bug. When the tendril pulls away, all that remains is dust falling to the floor. As another djinni charges towards Venom, they use the djinni they're holding to bat it away before biting their prisoner's head off and tossing the lifeless body to the ground where its form crumbles away.

 

Eddie barely registers the sound of people screaming and running.

 

The tendril that trapped the other djinni on the ground pulls the spirit up and Venom grabs it by the skull with their monstrously large hand. Venom grins menacingly at it, tongue lolling out, then drops to all fours and smashes the djinni’s head into the ground, soft flesh oozing out between their claws before breaking down into dust.

 

Venom roars another challenge at the remaining spirits, who are looking much more hesitant to face the beast before them. Not even Eddie can tell where he begins and the spirit ends anymore. They are simply Venom, a creature that you'd have to be very brave to face.

 

Unfortunately, these spirits aren't very brave. Most spirits are focused on self-preservation, but there's nothing they can do when bound by the spells of malicious magicians. So they attack.

 

Venom charges at them on all fours and pounces on the nearest spirit. The pathetic foliot didn't stand a chance. It's promptly crushed to dust with a single pound of Venom's fist. There are only djinn left now.

 

Venom whirls on the four remaining djinn but notices one is missing. They look for Doctor Skirth and see that the missing djinni is trying to break through her wards. They get ready to help her but are promptly reminded she wasn't a top magician in the Spirit Foundation for nothing. She reaches through her ward to grab its head and, before it can react, its head promptly explodes after a small incantation.

 

 _Holy shit_ , is all Eddie can think before Venom continues his assault on the remaining djinn.

 

The final three figure their best chance is to overwhelm the afrit by charging all at once but they're not quite organized enough to do it very well. Venom is able to dodge the swipes of claws and snapping of jaws as they systematically grab each spirit and bite off its head with their sharp teeth. Soon there is no evidence of their battle on the street other than the dust of the spirits’ bodies scattered on the ground.

 

Venom disappears into Eddie's skin and he smiles at nothing in particular, the rush of adrenaline and strength from being Venom giving him a small power high. “Nice job, V.”

 

 **_Like I said, spirits are no problem for us_ **, Venom purrs and curls fondly around Eddie's soul.

 

Eddie catches Doctor Skirth jogging over to them out of the corner of his eye and turns to greet her. “Hey, you okay? Nice work handling that djinni.”

 

**_She is powerful, maybe as powerful as Drake. We like her._ **

 

Doctor Skirth is beaming at him. “Yeah, I'm great! Wow, I didn't realize how much of a power difference there was between djinn and afrits. I wonder if it's because of the bond.” She puts a hand on her chin and looks at the ground pensively. “Or the strength of the bond? Or based on the strength of the person the spirit is bonded to? Maybe it's all based on the spirit’s power?” She begins to mutter about half way through her questions and Eddie can barely understand what she's saying.

 

“Doctor Skirth! Where do you live? Can we take a cab?”

 

Doctor Skirth eyes widen as she's pulled from her thoughts and she takes a moment to process what Eddie said before nodding. “Oh! Yes, yes. We can take a cab. Probably easier and faster.”

 

It takes a few minutes but they finally manage to flag one down and climb in. Eddie takes one last look at his apartment and the remains of the spirits, frowning as pangs of regret form knots in his soul.

 

 **_It was necessary_ ** , Venom reassures him as they work on smoothing out the blockages in his soul. **_Once we get Drake, won't have to fight as much. It'll be okay, Eddie_ **.

 

Eddie sighs and looks down at the floor of the cab as it merges back into traffic and drives away from the scene. “Yeah. Yeah, I know, V.” He hopes it doesn't get much worse than this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks [Mamichigo](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mamichigo/pseuds/Mamichigo) for betaing for me and being an absolute angel.
> 
> Seriously check out my Venom playlist below, it is now at 54 songs and still growing babey!!!


	4. Drake is a Bastard, No One is Surprised

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The spirit was right.
> 
> Together, they are Venom.
> 
> Apart, they are nothing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!!! Sorry for the wait! I got caught up in my project at the end of the quarter and then I spent my time finishing my entry for a [Christmas Symbrock Gift Exchange](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/Symbrock_Holiday_Gift_Exchange_2018/profile). But I finally found time for this chapter! I hope you enjoy it :3c
> 
> Thanks to [Mamichigo](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mamichigo) for the beta!
> 
>  _  
> Say goodbye, as we dance with the devil tonight  
>  Don't you dare look at him in the eye  
> As we dance with the devil tonight  
> _  
> \- [Dance With the Devil by Breaking Benjamin](https://open.spotify.com/track/10ASBwZsp7oUUDsJEYz3uS?si=7dK_91XwR-GzA2GL2QsyaA)

The neighborhood where Doctor Skirth lives in unsurprisingly nice and middle class. Eddie wouldn't expect anything less from an intelligent, high ranking magician. Though, it is still in the heart of San Francisco, so there aren't really any big lawns to speak of and the buildings are very close together, but at least the houses are nicely built and modern. Typically, magicians are the only ones that can afford homes like these, though. Unjust society and all that.

 

The cab pulls over in front of a light blue house with white detailing that looks so bright and unmarred it makes Eddie think it was only recently painted. There's planter boxes in the front with vegetables growing and potted flowers in the windows, so idealistic and happy. Eddie wants to kill Drake for staining the life of a woman who had made such a nice, pure life for herself.

 

**_And we will_ ** , Venom happily chimes in.

 

“Yeah, I guess we will,” Eddie mutters, feeling less and less hesitation about premeditated murder.  _ Is it really murder if the guy's a fucking monster?  _ He thinks to himself.

 

Venom shifts around Eddie's soul in their own version of a shrug.  **_Eh, not really_ ** .

 

He should really get used to just talking to Venom in his head if they can just hear his thoughts.

 

Eddie's getting a weird look from Doctor Skirth, who is currently waiting patiently at her door for him, so he clears his throat and jogs up to join her. “Sorry, I was talking to Venom,” he says as he rubs the back of his neck.

 

Doctor Skirth nods and unlocks the door while shrugging. “I figured.” She opens the door and walks inside. “It's just a little hard to get used to. Can you close the door behind you?” She drops her keys in a small bowl on a dresser near the door and heads down the hall.

 

Closing the door, Eddie takes the opportunity to take in his surroundings. The living room adjacent to the entryway has a few loveseats and a couch and little toys scattered on the floor. As he walks down the hall he looks at the various photos of Doctor Skirth and another woman, who he presumes to be her partner, lining the walls along with many photos of kids of various ages. Based off their features, Eddie guesses she has two kids. Immediately, he's concerned about their wellbeing.

 

“Hey, Doctor Skirth?” He questions as he follows her into what looks to be her office. “You have kids right? And a partner? Are they okay?”

 

Doctor Skirth looks at him and smiles, though it doesn't quite reach their eyes. “They're okay. I sent them somewhere they would be safe before I contacted you.” Her smile falls and she looks at the few toys in a corner of the room. “Unfortunately, I expected Drake would retaliate once he found out. So I took precautions.”

 

Eddie nods. “Smart woman,” he says with a sigh. “But kind of fucked up that you had to predict that, and that you're even in this situation,” he grumbles.

 

While Doctor Skirth turns on her laptop and signs in, she shrugs and waves a hand dismissively. “Among magicians, it's a dog eat dog world. I wouldn't know the combat magic that I do if it weren't so dangerous to be in my profession.” She looks at Eddie with a tight smile. “Our relationship with spirits isn't the only thing that needs work.”

 

Eddie huffs a laugh. “Oh yeah, I know how bad it is.” He smirks. “That's why it was so fun to report on.”

 

Doctor Skirth chuckles then gives her full focus to whatever she's doing on her laptop. Probably trying to find stuff on Drake.

 

Since the magician is occupied, Eddie takes the time to look around her office. Other than the toys in the corner, she also has a wide variety of books and ingredients lining her bookshelves--very similar to how Dan’s bookshelves looked as well. He also notices a space in another corner, opposite the toys, that has smudges of chalk and a circle etched into the floor from how many times Doctor Skirth must have drawn circles there. She must do a lot of different rituals.

 

When Eddie looks back to the books to see what their topics may be, he suddenly remembers the book that Dan gave him. “Oh shit!” He rubs his hands down his face and groans. He must have dropped it when those magicians tried to trap them and completely forgot about it.

 

**_Sorry, Eddie, I didn't remember it either._ ** Venom's apology is genuine, and Eddie appreciates it.

 

Doctor Skirth jolts at the outburst and looks at Eddie with a frown. “What's wrong, Mr. Brock?”

 

Eddie grimaces at the formality. “Just Eddie, please.” Then he crosses his arms and huffs. “A friend of mine, a magical practitioner, gave me a book about souls to read so I can try and get some insight on my bond with Venom, but I dropped it back at my apartment.”

 

**_You want to take care of us, Eddie_ ** . The spirit rumbles teasingly.

 

_ Yeah, so what if I do, huh? _ Eddie shoots back.

 

**_Nothing_ ** **.** Venom hums and curls around his soul fondly.  **_Just pleased you accept our bond._ **

 

Eddie smiles softly and rubs his chest.  _ It's not so bad _ .

 

“Uhm, Eddie?” Doctor Skirth's voice cuts through the fog of his conversation with Venom.

 

“What?” Eddie's head snaps up and he realizes he totally blanked out. He looks at her with a sheepish smile. “Hah, sorry. What were you saying?”

 

Doctor Skirth rolls her eyes and adjusts her glasses. “I said I think I know what book was given to you and I have a copy.”

 

Eddie's eyes light up and he grins. “Oh, sweet. Can I read it while you're doing,” he waves his hands around, “whatever you need to do?”

 

“Of course,” she chirps with a smile, happy to share any knowledge related to her profession. She pushes off the floor with her feet and rolls her chair over to a section of her bookshelves and runs her fingers over the bindings. When she finds the book she wants she pulls it out and hands it out towards Eddie.

 

Eddie steps forward and grabs it with a muttered thanks, after which Doctor Skirth rolls back to her laptop to continue working. He looks around and finds a spot on the floor where the wall is free to lean against and plops down there, legs criss-crossed.

 

_ Hey, Venom. You know a lot about souls already, right? _ Eddie doesn't wanna disturb the hard working magician, so he uses whatever focus he has to talk to Venom first.

 

**_Correct. Necessary for spirits like me who need vessels to survive in your plane._ ** Venom hums, swirling around his soul.  **_Though I suppose I know about as much as the last vessel I was properly bonded to did. Maybe you humans have discovered more since then._ **

 

_ Fair enough _ . Eddie opens the book and works on reigning in his focus to actually read what's written rather than let it go in one ear out the other.  _ Let's see what we can learn. _

 

Eddie gets about two pages in before realizing he doesn't want to read all the magical academia crap, only the meat. He goes back to the table of contents and sees if there's a chapter about what he actually wants to know.

 

_ Chapter 4: Soul Energy and Proper Maintenance _

 

Eddie gives a small noise of triumph and flips to the page for that chapter. He skims through the words until he finds some that jump out at him then reads that page. He's a good researcher, he promises.

 

_ Since soul energy is a resource needed to fuel magic, proper maintenance of such a resource is required in order to be a magician. Some magicians do not need to worry about it if they lead healthy, normal lives, but for others it may need to be carefully managed. This is also why group rituals are more common for larger scale spells so as not to put too much strain on a single magician's soul. If too much soul energy is used in a spell, it can kill the magician, or at the very least put them in a coma until their soul has recovered. _

 

**_I knew a magician who was in a coma for a year before she recovered_ ** , Venom pipes up.  **_She saved many lives through her sacrifice._ **

 

Eddie hasn’t really seen much magic used for saving lives other than people like Dan, but that was only on an individual scale. It’s hard to imagine a magician actually sacrificing themselves for something big. Eddie shakes his loose train of thought and focuses on the book.

 

_ Maintenance of the soul is not very complicated, in fact it can even be equated to the maintenance of the heart and mind. Positive emotion stimulates the soul to create soul energy, which  can either be excess or a necessary creation depending on how full the “bowl” is. Negative emotion can block channels within the soul and possibly drain it if the negative emotion is strong enough. Blockages can prevent the flow of magic, so avoid casting magic when distressed.  _

 

Eddie skims past the next few lines with warnings about blockages since he doesn’t care about his ability to use magic. Maybe he could if he tried, but he wasn’t interested. He focuses back on reading when he spots the word “foods”.

 

_ Foods are helpful for generating soul energy, particularly foods that are a favorite or foods that bring the magician happiness for whatever reason (i.e. nostalgia). Recently we have discovered that foods that have phenylethylamine(PEA), a chemical that stimulates dopamine production, are also very good at generating soul energy, regardless of an individual's taste. The obvious example of this type of food is chocolate, but it also includes various plants that are high in protein and various meats. _

 

Venom purred excitedly.  **_We should eat lots of chocolate, Eddie!_ **

 

_ I can’t just live off of chocolate! _ Eddie sighs inwardly.  _ But I’ll probably eat more than a normal person should. Protein foods shouldn’t be too hard to incorporate either. It’s about time I started eating better anyways.  _ He returns to reading.

 

_ Now, foods are certainly a good supplement for soul energy production, but emotions are much stronger and more directly connected with the soul. We ranked different chemicals and the emotions they're associated with in terms of how good they are at generating soul energy. PEA is the strongest in terms of soul energy production, but oxytocin is a close second and dopamine is loosely in third.  _

 

_ Some background information: _

_ PEA is the chemical that is produced when people fall in love, though the production falls off and is replaced with oxytocin as the relationship becomes long term. Oxytocin is coincidentally also produced during sex. Dopamine is produced by PEA but also things like exercise, listening to music, or anything that brings a person happiness. _

 

Eddie closes the book and his eyes. Yeah, that was enough of that. He's pretty much lost his chance at that last part. Food supplements and actual, healthy coping mechanisms it is.

 

**_I didn't know love generated soul energy_ ** . Venom chimes in, interrupting his downward spiral. **_I wonder if love between a spirit and a human increases the production more. Sex, too._ **

 

Eddie groans internally and sets the book down on the ground beside him.  _ Dude, I don't know. I don't want to think about it. _

 

The spirit hums, a little amused.  **_Just curiosity_ ** . But, thankfully, they drop it.

 

Eddie is startled by a whoop from Doctor Skirth, who spins her chair to face him with a grin.

 

“I think I found him!” Doctor Skirth slaps her hands together. “I got a friend who works in IT to look up the usage logs for his security badge, and the most recent entries show him using his badge in a Spirit Foundation lab across town.”

 

Eddie smiles and stands up. “Nice work, Doctor Skirth! Venom and I will bust in, kick ass, and you can handle the cleanup.” He crosses his arms. “Easy peasy.”

 

“I don't know, Eddie.” She frowns and clenches her hands. “Drake is an extremely powerful magician, and dangerously clever. Call me Dora, by the way. I think we'll be working closely enough to be colloquial.”

 

Eddie hadn't really thought to consider Drake would stand a chance against he and Venom. Magicians proved difficult at first, but then they cleaved through them like butter after a few snacks.  _ Venom, what do you think? He shouldn't be too tough against us, right? _

 

Venom grunts.  **_In a direct fight? He wouldn't stand a chance. But she is right._ ** They grumble, not enjoying having to admit Drake would actually be a formidable opponent.  **_You don't obtain that high of a position among magicians, especially that young, without being sufficiently clever and underhanded. He will have plenty of tricks up his sleeve._ **

 

“Well, fuck. Okay,” Eddie mutters as he uncrosses his arms to tug on his bracelets. “So we'll be careful.”

 

As careful as an impulsive, clumsy disaster can be.

 

Dora nods. “Please, exercise extreme caution.” She taps a finger on her lips, thinking. After a couple seconds she nods, coming to some sort of decision. “Just in case, I will summon my sneakiest djinn. They will follow you and come back to me if anything goes wrong so I can come help if necessary.”

 

Well, they had a plan and a backup plan. What could go wrong?

 

After Dora summons her djinn, who takes the form of a small monkey, they call a cab and have it take the trio to a spot that is down the road from the lab, so as not to be too suspicious. Eddie looks down at the djinn. “Stay out of sight. If something happens, don't attempt to help us, just go get Dora.”

 

“Just as my lady said,” they respond in a British accent, which was really weird to hear coming from a monkey. “Good luck, lad.” The djinn runs off and disappears behind some bushes.

 

Eddie blinks then shakes his head. “That was weird. Whatever.” He starts walking towards the large building about two blocks down. “You ready, V?”

 

**_Of course_ ** , Venom reassures. They go quiet for a moment then speak up again.  **_Do you plan on...letting me stay after this?_ ** Venom squeezes his soul and releases it multiple times, an anxious tick.  **_Your research on souls implied that, but it just seems unusual for someone who isn't a magician to want to be bonded to a spirit._ **

 

A fair concern. Eddie worries his lip between his teeth the sighs. “It's...not so bad. Obviously the power that comes with you is cool but,” he shrugs, “you're cool, too.”

 

He smiles and looks up. “It feels less empty with you in my head. It feels like you fill all the spaces in my soul, like you're supposed to be there.” Eddie rubs his chest fondly. “That's cheesy, but whatever. Like you said, we're a good match right?”

 

Venom goes really quiet, but Eddie isn't worried. There's only warmth and fondness flowing over the bond from them. 

 

When they reach the building, the spirit finally speaks up.  **_Yes, Eddie. A perfect match. A once in a millenia match. Maybe more_ ** . Venom purrs softly.

 

That statement makes Eddie a little overwhelmed with emotion, so he just stays quiet and basks in it for a moment before turning his attention to the building in front of them.

 

The lab is heavily fortified and Eddie wanted to avoid going through the front door, but a quick glance through the windows shows him the building is empty. “Hey shouldn't people be here? Security?” He checks the scanners next to the front door and they're green and unlocked. “I don't like this, V.”

 

**_Me neither_ ** , the spirit growls. **_I don't sense any magicians or spirits nearby. We will have to explore the building._ **

 

Eddie takes in a deep breath, gathering his courage, then pushes the front door open and steps inside. No alarms, no traps. He walks forward and looks around for any signs that might seem promising.

 

_ Research and Development, Containment, Records… _

 

**_Eddie. Research and Development. Down that hall I'm catching some faint magical energy._ ** Venom curls tightly around his soul.  **_Don't know what it is._ **

 

Eddie nods and heads down the hall that the sign for Research and Development points to. He looks around as he slowly walks, doing his best not to rush forward into anything. The walls are too white and immaculate, giving him the impression of a hospital which only serves to give him more anxiety.

 

They come upon an electronic door with a handprint lock, but it's already green and the screen reads “unlocked”. Totally not suspicious or indicating of a trap.

 

Eddie uses his thumb to rotate the ring on his forefinger. “Fucking christ. I don't like this, V.” He just stares at the green panel, heart pounding in his chest and thundering in his ears.

 

Black smoke winds itself around around his wrist and gives it a squeeze, grounding him.  **_We can do this. Together, we are Venom. We can take down Drake._ **

 

“Yeah. Yeah, you're right.” He takes in a deep breath, exhales, then taps a button on the panel. The door splits down the center and disappears into the door frame with a hiss.

 

There's a desk for what looks like a receptionist close to the door. Past that the room branches into three different hallways that are dimly lit. It's still completely empty, not a person in sight.

 

**_Go left. Magic's coming from there_ ** . Venom releases a deep growl.  **_Trap, but no choice_ ** .

 

Eddie clenches his fists tightly and walks down the left hallway, trying not to think about how nerve wracking this whole situation is. The hallway is dimly lit, but there it’s much brighter at the end of the hallway. Eddie can almost feel what Venom is talking about when he senses magic. It’s so strong that he can feel his skin buzzing, tingles going down his spine.

 

As they reach the source of the light Eddie spots her.

 

Maria. Behind a glass wall with an open door to the right, tied to a chair, duct tape over her mouth. She’s been crying.

 

What the fuck is she doing here?

 

Eddie doesn’t even hear Venom’s warning as he runs forward and into the room. He rips the tape off her mouth as quickly and painlessly as he can. “It’s okay, Maria. It’s okay,” he whispers as he tries to untie the ropes around her.

 

Fresh tears spill over Maria’s cheeks and she shakes her head violently. “No, Eddie. Goddamnit, you stupid, impulsive--”

 

**CLUNK**

 

Both Eddie and Maria turn to the door and realize that the sound they just heard was it slamming shut.

 

Eddie lowers his hands and the blood drains from his face. “Fuck.” He hears the clacking of shoes coming from down the hall in he distance.  _ I am such a fuckin idiot. _

 

**_You are a good human. Your instinct to help overrode any logic_ ** . Venom reassured him, then sighed.  **_But still kind of an idiot._ **

 

Maria sniffles while Eddie finishes untying her from the chair. “Goddamnit, Eddie.”

 

“Listen, it’s going to be fine. We’re gonna take down Drake and then you won’t have to worry about him ever again.” He notices something dark on the floor in the corner of his eye so he looks at it more closely. “Oh, fuck.”

 

On the floor of the room is a large magical circle with multiple rings full of circles. Normally, it wouldn’t be a problem, he could just smear the chalk, but this one was engraved into the concrete floor.  _ Deeply  _ engraved. Some kind of thick glass was placed in the carved parts level with the floor to make it easy to walk on. Eddie couldn’t even see how deep it was. They would have to dig for a while just to break it.

 

“Hello, Eddie.” Eddie turns his head to look at Carlton Drake standing on the other side of the glass wall. Drakes lips curl up into a menacing smile. “It’s so good to see you again. I wish it was under better circumstances.”

 

Eddie’s scoffs. “The feeling isn’t mutual.”

 

**_Eddie, the circle…_ ** Venom warns, sounding anxious.

 

_ I know. I don’t know what to do. _

 

Only now does Eddie note the fact that the room isn’t actually square, but circular. There’s no space to even stand outside the circle.

 

Drake frowns. “That hurts, Eddie. It’s okay, though. Soon you won’t even matter.” He spreads his arms out wide. “That’s what this room is for.” He smiles again and begins pacing slowly back and forth in front of the window.

 

“Doctor Skirth really is such a brilliant woman, you know. Her specialty was magic circles. She helped recover the lost knowledge needed to summon Venom, did you know that? But, of course, with every experiment you need a backup plan. So she also created a circle to…” He waves his hand around in the air, looking for a word.

 

After a second or two, he smiles. “ _Expunge_ whatever we summoned. Now obviously the easiest way to get rid of an afrit or higher is to just kill the host, but this is much more reliable and safe.”

 

Suddenly Eddie and Venom are feeling a lot more panicked about the situation. Maria has started to softly cry again.

 

**_Eddie. Eddie, no._ **

 

_ I know. I don’t want you to go, either. _

 

Drake stops pacing in the center of the window and holds his hands out to the side, palms up. “For the magicians and spirits you’ve cost me, you need to pay me back.” He narrows his eyes and his smile widens. “You’ll do so by becoming a  _ valuable _ test subject for more summonings.”

 

Drake closes his eyes and begins chanting in a language Eddie doesn’t recognize. He’d recognize Latin but this was something else. From below the glass covering the engravings a blue glow begins to rise and fill the circle until the room is bathed in a blue light.

 

Just like the two times before, pain. Somehow even more excruciating. They collapse to the floor screaming and writhing. Eddie ends up on his back and his eyes glow white. Black smoke spills from his mouth and disperses in the air, despite its desperate attempts to cling to Eddie’s skin. 

 

As the last wisp of smoke leaves his body, the glow of his eyes disappears and his body goes limp. Maria rushes to his side, touching his face and trying to make sure he was okay.

 

But he wasn’t okay. He’d only had Venom for a short period of time, but in that time he had gotten used to the way the spirit curled around his soul, offered words and touches of encouragement, even the teasing. And now all that was gone.

 

_ They _ were gone.

 

All that remained was a gaping hole in Eddie’s chest that left him feeling empty and lonely.

 

The spirit was right.

 

Together, they are Venom.

 

Apart, they are nothing.

**Author's Note:**

> Please let me know what you think in the comments! I'd love any praise or constructive criticism you have to offer!!
> 
> Hey check out my cool [Venom Playlist](https://open.spotify.com/user/thatssocrimson/playlist/1O6fzX4qh9XdXINMZigyRu?si=brkFChibT6Oh2dJXzYVBdQ) that mamichigo also helped me flesh out :')


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